


Cheating Hearts

by deessedelune



Category: The West Wing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-01
Updated: 2006-05-01
Packaged: 2019-05-30 09:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deessedelune/pseuds/deessedelune
Summary: Josh consults Sam about cheating on his girlfriend.





	1. Cheating Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

I know I should be studying, but I couldn't resist after hearing these two songs together on my playlist. ~K.

TITLE: Cheating Hearts 1/2 

AUTHOR: Kaya 

RATING: PG-13 to R. 

SUMMARY: Josh consults Sam about cheating on his girlfriend. Part one is based on Shaggy's new song "It Wasn't Me" 

SPOILERS: Way after 20 hours in LA..in another universe. 

ARCHIVE: Consider it homeless. Wanna give it a home? Just email me. 

DISCLAIMER: Don't own them. Never plan to do so. Just wanted to play.

 

_(Yo man) Yo_  
(Open up man) What do you want man?  
(My girl just caught me)  
You let her catch you?  
(I don't know how I let this happen)  
With who?  
(The girl next door, you know?) Man...  
(I don't know what to do) Say it wasn't you  
(Alright)

The song played softly on the background as Joshua Lyman nervously looked at Sam. Desperation and anxiety were clearly written across his face. Sam Seaborne felt sorry for his co-worker and friend. "So what do I do now, Sam?" he asked as if almost begging for an answer while he ran his hand through his hair.

Before Sam could get a word in edgewise, Josh interrupted, his speech slurred, though he was very sober. "I mean..it wasn't intentional at all. It just happened so fast."

"Wait a minute," Sam tried to calm his friend down. "What happened so fast?"

Josh sighed in frustration, knowing that he was going to have to tell someone about this sooner or later. Plus, there was no one better to tell than Sam. Taking a deep breath, he started his story..

_Honey came in and she caught me red-handed_  
Creeping with the girl next door  
Picture this we were both butt-naked  
Banging on the bathroom floor  
How could I forget  
That I had given her an extra key  
All this time she was standing there  
She never took her eyes off me

"..so she walks in on us and that, my friend, was the beginning of the end," Josh ended his tragic tale. A deeper frustration washed over his face as he waited for his friend to respond, or even better, to give him some advice.

"Wow" was Sam's only response.

"Wow?" Josh repeated with disbelief. "For a Princeton grad, I thought you'd have more articulation than that."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, what did you want me to say, Josh? `Good job?'"

Joshua groaned. "No! I don't know! Some advice or something?"

"Advice on what?" Sam laughed sympathetically. "Josh, I don't know how you manage to do it, but somehow, you always get yourself in very sticky situations. However, this time, you and your amazing skills managed to get yourself completely.."

"Screwed?" Josh offered. Sam nodded in agreement, to which Josh buried his head in his hands.

"Well," Sam started. "There's always.."

_How you can grant the woman access to your villa_  
Trespasser and a witness while you cling on your pillow  
You better watch your back before she turn into a killer  
Best for you and the situation not to call the beaner  
To be a true player you have to know how to play  
If she say you're not, convince her say you're gay  
Never admit to a word when she say makes a claim  
And you tell her baby no way

"No way!" the United Stated deputy chief of staff quickly dismissed his friend's suggestion. "THAT is out of the question."

"You have any better ideas?" Sam pointed out.

Josh shook his head. "Well, what about just apologizing for starters?" Sam offered.

His friend rejected the idea by the shake of his head. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because.."

_But she caught me on the counter_  
(It wasn't me)  
Saw me banging on the sofa  
(It wasn't me)  
I even had her in the shower  
(It wasn't me)  
She even caught me on camera  
(It wasn't me)  
She saw the marks on my shoulder  
(It wasn't me)  
Heard the words that I told her  
(It wasn't me)  
Heard the screams getting louder  
(It wasn't me)

"Oh," Sam whispered.

Josh stood up from anxiety but continued, "Exactly, Sam. That's not an option. And to add to that.."

_She stayed until it was over_  
Honey came in and she caught me red-handed  
Creeping with the girl next door  
Picture this we were both butt-naked  
Banging on the bathroom floor  
How could I forget  
That I had given her an extra key  
I had tried to keep her from what she was about to see  
Why should she believe me when I told her it wasn't me

"It's understandable on how she feels, but I still can't understand why you can't just do what I told you before."

"Because it just doesn't feel right," Josh replied, frustration definitely oozing from his voice.

"Well, then," Sam started while his brain still racking for some solution to Josh's problem. "How about using your charms?"

_Make sure she knows it's not you and lead her on Da right prefix_  
whenever you should see her make da giggolo flex  
As funny as it be by you, it not that complex  
Seein' is believin' so you better change your specs  
You know she not gonna be worrying bout things from the past  
Hardly recollecting and then she'll go to noontime mass  
Your answer: go over there but if she pack a gun  
You know you better run fast

"That doesn't feel right either," Joshua said, resignation obviously creeping into his voice.

"Then what feels right?"

Josh looked at Sam as if he could barely understand a word his friend was saying. Profusely digging through his thoughts and possible options for what seemed like years, Josh suddenly yelled out, "I got it!"

_Gonna tell her that I'm sorry for the pain that I've caused_  
I've been listenin' to your reasonin'  
It makes no sense at all  
We should tell her that I'm sorry for the pain that I've caused  
You may think that you're a player  
But you're completely lost

Sam frowned deeply as he shook his head. "Are you sure? Remember what you said. It was just a spur of the moment thing. A momentary relapse of good judgment. A.."

Josh held his hand up to silence his friend. "Yes, but remember what happened.."

_Honey came in and she caught me red-handed_  
Creeping with the girl next door  
Picture this we were both butt-naked  
Banging on the bathroom floor  
How could I forget  
That I had given her an extra key  
All this time she was standing there  
She never took her eyes off me

"And that was the biggest mistake I ever did in my life," Josh finally said with determination and resolution defining his voice this time. Without another word, he stood up from his seat and quickly headed out Sam's office.

The other party, on the other hand, was still busy contemplating what he just said. "I'll never understand him," he eventually said with surrender.

 

TBC

  

  

  

  


	2. Cheating Hearts 2

And here's the finale. Okay, I have to study now..really.

TITLE: Cheating Hearts 2/2 

AUTHOR: Kaya  (I love feedback!) 

RATING: PG-13 to R. 

SUMMARY: Josh resolves the situation. Part one is based on Dido's "Thank You" 

SPOILERS: Way after 20 hours in LA..in another universe. 

ARCHIVE: Consider it homeless. Wanna give it a home? Just email me. 

DISCLAIMER: Don't own them. Never plan to do so. Just wanted to play.

 

My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all the morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all

Donnatella Moss stared outside her bedroom window as the rain hits the glass in a slow yet soothing rhythm. Quite a change from what the day had been, she felt so much better as she wrapped her cold hands around the tepid cup of herbal tea. Here she was, sitting peacefully in her apartment on a Tuesday afternoon when she could be frantically working in the West Wing of the White House as she normally would at this time. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on which perspective one sees it, last night's events somehow managed to affect today, and thus, she got to go home early.

`Last night..'

How could she forget? It was not so trivial that she could erase it from her mind. `In more ways than one,' her subconscious reminded her. She agreed. It most definitely was something she just could not forget.

_And even if I could it'd all be grey, but your picture on my wall_  
it reminds me that it's not so bad  
it's not so bad

Yet, it was odd that she was so calm. She was not a bit worried about a thing at all. Though there were plenty riding on the consequences. Her job, her feelings, her relationship with Josh..

`Her relationship with Josh..'

For once, it did not sound like it was a bad thing. But right now and in the context of what happened last night, it should be.

She shouldn't even be this peaceful or relaxed. She should be mad. Livid, even.

_I drank too much last night, got bills to pay_  
my head just feels in pain  
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today  
I'm late for work again  
and even if I'm there, they'll all imply that I might not last the day

That was what she was this morning. Not to mention, embarrassed and exhausted. Exhausted physically was only the tip of the iceberg, too. She was going crazy mentally, psychologically and emotionally this morning that everything she intended to do only failed miserably.

She was extremely late for work. She was almost ran over. She practically killed the coffeemaker. She nearly shredded papers Josh needed for a meeting five minutes later..

`Josh.'

There was that name again. Donna knew she couldn't deny it any longer. She knew this last night at his place. Hell, she knew this before that their relationship was different, but last night..

Last night broke her heart, but being the optimist that she was, Donna preferred to keep it as a treasured memory. Of how strong she could be. Of how much love she deserved. Of what kind of relationship she could have had with Josh.

_and then you call me and it's not so bad  
it's not so bad and_

Speaking of him, Donna spied a figure that resembled him on the street across her building. It was walking straight toward her apartment. "It couldn't.." she said to herself.

But the buzz a few minutes later confirmed what she thought before. Tucking a few loose strands of her blond hair behind her ears, she tried very hard to regain her composure. "If you're trying to take away the mini-vacation you granted me today, don't even think about it, Joshua," she said assertively through the telecom.

"I'm not here for that," he said with what Donna perceived to be a tone softer than usual. Than anytime at all. "I want to talk."

Donna bit her lip. This was her chance to get back at him. No matter how un-hurt she may be feeling, it did not mask the fact that she was somewhat hurting from what happened last night. "Why should I want to talk to you?" she said with conviction.

_I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life  
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life_

Josh groaned, fearing the possibility of her not forgiving him. This was definitely one of those beginning signs. But Josh needed to redeem himself. `Come on, Lyman,' Josh thought to himself. `There must be something you can do; you help run a country for Christ's sakes.'

After much hesitation, Josh finally replied, "I want to apologize, Donnatella."

Nothing.

The silence on the other end was killing him by the second that it passed. It just didn't seem like a good sign, until he heard a buzzing noise that indicated that Donna opened the main door for him.

Happily, Josh ran up to her room as fast as his heart and his health could. Praying hard, he knocked on her door.

She opened it immediately. A glare was evident in her face, but her eyes showed more. Hurt and embarrassment seemed to scream out from them.

Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and through then you handed me a towel and all I see is you and even if my house falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue because you're near me and

She motioned with her head for him to come in. He did. Without much words, she also indicated that he could have a seat, but he refused to do so.

"Donna," he started. "I'm so sorry."

Donna held her hand up. "This isn't necessary, Josh. We're both adults; we understand.."

"No, no," Josh shook his head. "It wasn't like that at all.."

"Then what was it like, Joshua?" Donna demanded. She felt that it was rather rash the moment it left her lips, but Josh didn't seem to notice, seeing as how he continued.

"Didn't you notice anything? Feel anything? Remember anything?" Josh asked, desperation almost ringing in his voice.

Donna did remember alright. She was coming home with him after a hard night at work, because he promised her dinner if she stayed to help him. But dinner, a few drinks and the tickling game were all a blur compared to the mind-numbing…activities they got themselves involved afterward. It was all fun and games until..

"What about Joey?" Donna pointed out the intruder who caught them during their little game last night.

"It's over," Josh whispered softly as he slowly walked toward her. "Donna.."

She looked up to him as he drew closer until he was only inches from her. Afraid that touching her would make her disappear, he decided to continue verbally. "Joey. Until last night, I did not realize how much I cared for her."

Donna began to look away, so he won't have to see the hurt in her eyes. But he reached for her chin and turned her toward him. "Or the lack thereof," he continued. "It wasn't the sex, either, though I'm not complaining."

Donna blushed, looking away for a moment, until she realized that when she looked at him again, he was blushing, too. "It was you. And only you. Until last night, I was never satisfied with my life. Until last night when I realized that you were the missing piece of it. Until last night when I realized that I love you."

With that, he drew closer. Sensing no objections from her, he gently covered her lips with his. She returned it with the same gentleness but with more passion. A content sigh escaped her throat as she thought that this was where she wanted to be. His heart and his mind did not think any differently, either.

_I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life  
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life_

  

The End 

  


End file.
